Cristiano Ronaldo is set to have his wish for Champions League football granted as Manchester United are prepared to loan him to Napoli this season.
Gazzetta dello Sport via ESPN claims that the Red Devils will even pay the 37 year old’s wages in order to get the deal done.
“Gazzetta says that United are prepared to continue paying Ronaldo’s wage while he goes on loan to Napoli for the season,” the report states.
“United have also been linked with Napoli striker Victor Osimhen, who has a transfer value of at least €100 million, but Gazzetta believes United will only firm up their interest in the Nigeria international if they fail to sign Antony from Ajax.”
With the Antony deal now struck, this means that the Ronaldo loan will not involve Osimhen coming the other way.
However, it does not seem to be the case that the Portuguese star’s switch is dependent on that of Osimhen, with the staff in Naples clearly big fans of history’s top goalscorer.
Napoli manager Luciano Spalletti confirmed yesterday that “if you’re asking me if I’d like to work with Ronaldo, I tell you no coach would say no to that.”
Meanwhile Tuttosport reports that. “The topic is tempting and, at the same time, burning, given that he is the most successful player in circulation.
“The negotiation exists, Jorge Mendes is leading it personally. CR7’s agent is marching in forced stages on the Naples-Manchester axis.”
If indeed United are ready to pay the full wages of their star to play for another club, it is one of the strangest situations that football has ever seen.
It would certainly speak to Erik ten Hag’s determination to get the player out of Old Trafford at all costs, perhaps due to the disruptive influence of having such an unhappy legend on his hands.
It would seem more likely that Napoli wuld at least pay a part of the megastar’s £420,000 per week salary.
